On Saturday night, my brother, his girlfriend, and I were on our way to Moorestown Mall to see a movie when we witnessed an accident take place right in front of us on Church Road. Long story short, I instructed my brother to call 9-1-1, which he did, and we saw the paramedics heading for the scene almost immediately. But we didn't stick around. Tonight my brother's girlfriend thought to search the Internet to see if there was any news, particularly on the condition of the motorcyclist involved. Sadly, in her research, we learned that he died. Here is the story:
Mount Laurel man loses life in crash Monday, August 11, 2008 MOUNT LAUREL -- A township man was killed in a motorcycle crash on Church Road on Saturday evening, police reported.
Michael Murray, 22, was riding his motorcycle through the Church and Fellowship roads intersection when he collided with a car traveling on Fellowship driven by Oliver Kasprizik, 26, of Mainz, Germany.
Murray was taken to Cooper Trauma Center in Camden, where he later died.
Kasprizik was uninjured.
Police say the accident remains under investigation.
If you are at all spiritual or religious, please keep the people involved in this in your thoughts. Unfortunately the image from Saturday night is still quite vivid in my mind, especially now knowing the outcome.
Will you take the bait?
Current mood: lazy
Category: Quiz/Survey
I contemplated writing a new blog entry today, but I've decided I'm too lazy right now. Instead, I thought this might be fun and interesting. So while I figure out what I'll write about when I actually write something, fill this out, if you are so inclined. I'll return the favor.
::other:: where would we go on dates?: who are three of your favorite bands/artists?: do you drink/smoke?: do you like the beach?: if so, would you go with me late at night?: do you like movies?: if so, would you stay up and watch them with me all night?: if you were to take me out to a movie, would we watch the movie?: if not, what would we be doing?: do you play an instrument?: if so, what?: would you call me right after we saw each other to make sure that I made it home alright?: how would you rate your hugs, on a scale of 1 to 10?: favorite body part on a chick?: what would you say is the best thing about yourself?: would you give me kisses "just because"?:
::whatwouldyoudoif:: I said I liked you?: I kissed you?: I touched you?: I ran away from home?: I got into a fight and you were there?: I got dumped?: I pissed you off?:
::whatdoyouthinkofmy:: personality?: body?: clothes?: humor?: choice of music?:
::wouldyou:: be my friend?: tell me the truth, no matter what?: buy me a birthday gift?: lie to make me feel better?: go out at 4 AM to get me ice cream?: keep a secret if I told you one?: loan me some cash?: keep in touch?: make me a snack?: try to solve my problems?: love me?: make out with me?: ditch me?: lay in the rain with me?: use me?: date me?:
This is where I’d like to live someday.
Current mood: frugal
Category: frugal Travel and Places
So it's a really good thing that I started saving money a really long time ago. Last summer, the daughter of my mother's cousin (confusing, I know) got married, and the reception was held at an oceanfront hotel in Spring Lake, New Jersey. While I did not attend, my mom found the area to be so captivating that she desired to take me there and let me see it for myself at a later time. Since we are all on vacation from work this week, my mom, dad, and myself decided to pack up Zoey and take a ride to Spring Lake yesterday. Knowing the photo ops would probably be in abundance, I took my camera along too. Below you'll find the pictures that I snatched. They can't really convey to you the atmospheric serenity and tidiness there, but I think they can be appreciated for what they are.
First I have some general shots of the architecture (which I found to be absolutely grand) and the landscape, for lack of a better description.
The sign reads, "KEEP OFF DUNES/$500 FINE." The sand dunes mean business.
Zoey... sniffing someone else's poop?
More of the architecture and half of my mom.
All of my mom, my dad, and Zoey is blocked by my dad.
Zoey, P.I.
That monstrous building right there... probably the most impressive one I saw during our visit.
Some pictures of the beach taken from the boardwalk. There surprisingly is not a whole lot of beach to be had before you'd be in the water.
I swear that I kept off of the dunes.
One more beach shot, but facing the opposite direction on the boardwalk.
Zoey and her purple purse of Charlee Bears.
Foliage. Are those crab apples?
Zoey next to me on the ride home, sleeping tight after some Wendy's.
Zo making a variation of the "ugly face" at me.
Zo reminding us why we keep her around despite sightings of the "ugly face".
Orchestrating the song to accommodate the moment.
Current mood: getting down with the sickness (nasal drip kind)
Category: getting down with the sickness (nasal drip kind) Music
Bands I’ve Seen Live: 2003 - 2008
Cooper River Park, Pennsauken, NJ, July 4, 2003: 4 Way Street Dave Mason Cheap Trick
Warped Tour, Tweeter Center, Camden, NJ, August 8, 2003: Poison The Well Count The Stars Cordalene S.T.U.N. Vaux The Ataris Taking Back Sunday The Starting Line The Used The All-American Rejects Simple Plan Less Than Jake
Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA, October 24, 2003: Mest Goldfinger Good Charlotte
Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA, February 9, 2004: Don’t Look Down Sugarcult MxPx Simple Plan
Knitting Factory, New York, NY, February 25, 2004: The Kinison Murder By Death The Bled Poison The Well
Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA, February 27, 2004: Dynamite Boy Matchbook Romance Fall Out Boy Mest
Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA, June 26, 2004: Big D And The Kids Table Lucky Boys Confusion Rx Bandits Catch 22 Reel Big Fish
Great Plaza At Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia, PA, July 1, 2004: Midtown Lit
Cooper River Park, Pennsauken, NJ, July 4, 2004: Gary Hoey Band Pat Benetar
Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA, July 16, 2004: The Pennant Race (who filled in for Eighteen Visions - they were supposed to play, but kicked out their drummer and had to train the new one that day instead of playing the Philly show... my luck) Midtown Lostprophets (Pit wounds rock. :D)
Warped Tour, Tweeter Center, Camden, NJ, August 6, 2004: Bleed The Dream Motion City Soundtrack Rufio Story Of The Year Flogging Molly Allister (front row, baby! :D) Sugarcult Dynamite Boy Bad Religion NOFX New Found Glory Yellowcard Taking Back Sunday
Liacouras Center, Philadelphia, PA, October 29, 2004: Sugarcult New Found Glory Green Day
TLA, Philadelphia, PA, February 8, 2005: Misery Signals Remembering Never Emery Eighteen Visions
TLA, Philadelphia, PA, February 18, 2005: Bottom Line theSTART Goldfinger (I scored the rail for about three-quarters of the set or so. :D :D :D)
Cooper River Park, Pennsauken, NJ, July 4, 2005: Blue Oyster Cult Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Warped Tour, Tweeter Center, Camden, NJ, August 12, 2005: Mae Senses Fail Transplants Some ska-ish, reggae-ish band whose name I failed to catch Relient K My Chemical Romance REGGIE AND THE FULL EFFECT! Story of the Year Mest Fall Out Boy Motion City Soundtrack Funeral For a Friend Bleeding Through Avenged Sevenfold Thrice Dropkick Murphys Atreyu
Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia, PA, August 24, 2005: Unwritten Law Papa Roach 311
Tweeter Center, Camden, NJ, October 14, 2005: Reggie and the Full Effect Alkaline Trio My Chemical Romance
TLA, Philadelphia, PA, October 18, 2005: Houston Calls A Day at the Fair Fenix Tx Allister
TLA, Philadelphia, PA, October 19, 2005: People In Planes The (International) Noise Conspiracy The Bravery (<3)
Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA, October 30, 2005: Over It Rufio Relient K MXPX
TLA, Philadelphia, PA, February 8, 2006: The Classic Crime Scary Kids Scaring Kids Allister Mest
Cooper River Park, Pennsauken, PA, July 4, 2006: Cry Wolf (?) Foreigner
Trocadero, Philadelphia, PA, November 30, 2006: Radio 4 The Bravery
The Fillmore at the TLA, Philadelphia, PA, March 16, 2008: Far-Less Between The Trees The Honorary Title Mae
I really wanted to title this work "Politicians Need to Lay Off About the Layoffs."
Current mood: Is it over yet?
Category: Is it over yet? News and Politics
What is Outsourcing? A Discussion of Outsourcing, Its Effects, and Its Criticisms
In recent years, the topic of outsourcing has emerged as a point of contention, the major players in the debate being the economist, the politician, the American worker, and the consumer. Each has either a valid argument in favor of the current outsourcing trend, or a seemingly legit concern as to the impending harm of which outsourcing is believed to be capable. But to what extent are these concerns superficial? Is outsourcing the monstrous threat critics purport it to be, or have these critics failed to see the larger picture? A closer look at the phenomenon that is outsourcing will demonstrate that, contrary to popular belief, and from an economic standpoint, outsourcing does not mean to inflict ill.
What is Outsourcing?
The term "outsourcing," a component of business language since the 1980s, refers to entering a contractual agreement with a third-party company that will handle or assist with a certain business function. In other words, outsourcing involves the shifting of the direction or daily fulfillment of a function, or both, to an outside entity ("Outsourcing," 2007). Drezner (2004) alternatively describes offshore outsourcing, specifically, as "the alleged migration of American jobs overseas." Although the boundaries between them are becoming less defined, it is important to understand the distinction between outsourcing and offshoring; offshoring simply shifts a function to another country, but does not necessarily imply that the function is actually being outsourced. Among other emerging, related terms are "multisourcing," which refers to one client contracting with several suppliers to each perform a different function, and "nearshoring" and "rightshoring," which refer to transferring a function to a geographically close location and determining the right mix of jobs to keep at home and move abroad, respectively.
Outsourcing is nothing new to the U.S. economy - Drezner (2004) uses the emergence of sizable call centers in the rustic Midwest to illustrate this point. In fact, outsourcing has been the foundation of all trade for over 10,000 years (Strassmann, 2004). It would be quite impractical for an entity to produce a good or service for which resources best suited to such a purpose are available elsewhere. Whereas the manufacturing industry has long been familiarized with the practice, the lessening of communication costs, along with standardization of packaged software, have allowed outsourcing to spread to such activities as customer service, telemarketing, document management, medical transcription, tax preparation, financial services, and product design.
Why Outsource?
While various reasons may underlie a business's strategic decision to outsource, cost savings remains in the forefront among the most influential ones. RM, Bravard, and Morgan (2006) maintain that the incentive to outsource has adapted to different purposes and will continue to do so, stating that, while cost is undoubtedly a factor in proposing a business change, varying cost equations from deal to deal make apparent the multitude of reasons why a business might reduce cost by contracting out a certain activity. Businesses may choose to offshore a function to take advantage of a lower-cost environment in a practice called "labor arbitrage." When U.S. immigration limits prevent workers abroad from coming into the U.S. to work, the simple solution can be to send the work to them instead. This concept also explains how offshoring is a method by which a company can take advantage of a foreign product market. Outsourcing can also manipulate a business's ratio of fixed costs to variable costs, shifting costs toward variable and away from fixed and allowing for greater predictability with respect to variable costs.
But aside from the cost issue, quality improvements have surfaced as a motivation for outsourcing. Among related reasons are access to a broader pool of experience, know-how, and talent, as well as the capability to deploy a practice previously proven to be successful in another situation, but considered unfeasible at home. Outsourcing certain non-core activities can free a business of, for example, mundane and routine tasks, allowing the focus to be on higher-valued areas. It can also speed up the processes of development and production and can even assist businesses in meeting goals faster than expected. Also, spanning time zones and even hemispheres enables an activity to proceed continually around the clock.
Yet another potential element in a business's decision to outsource is the necessity to adhere to ever more rigorous, costly regulations. In regard to risk, a business can wash its hands of the issue of unused capacity, transferring it to the supplier instead. And finally, contracting can be utilized as an agent for change and can present itself as a potential solution, particularly in the situation of a merger, in which a third-party supplier is independent of either partner.
The Economic Effects of Outsourcing
While it is quite apparent and inevitable that a certain amount of American workers are laid-off or relocated as a result of a company's decision to outsource, it is easy to overlook the fact that more Americans actually retain their employed status by way of the competitiveness that outsourcing provides to the company (Weidenbaum, 2004). Some may even move up to better positions when, say, for example, their particular job is outsourced, but the increased revenue - or cost savings - provided by outsourcing results in and in turn provides for a greater demand for a better paid type of labor. Not only can cost savings from outsourcing generate more jobs in the U.S., it can aid a company in purchasing more capital and increasing training for employees. And more resources, better technology, and better training result in higher worker productivity at home. So a company gains as much or more productivity as it gains labor costs. From the perspective of the country to which the U.S. offshores its work, these less fortunate nations can potentially develop and strengthen their economies through the creation of jobs that would not have existed in their locale if it were not for outsourcing. Hence, outsourcing boosts the incomes of these offshore workers and potentially creates a market for U.S. products, not to mention that it can also increase the demand by offshore suppliers for American-made goods and services they need to adequately provide their services.
When a country specializes in producing those goods and services for which its opportunity costs are lowest, productivity is increased and products are made cheaper. This is not only the rationale behind free trade, but also the reasoning behind outsourcing, specifically. As technological advances have circulated and services have become less monopolistic, more companies can afford to outsource, and hence countries can focus on those areas in which they have a comparative advantage and increase productivity. As of 2004, Catherine Mann of the Institute for International Economics approximated U.S. GDP to have been raised by $230 billion in the previous seven years by IT production going global (Drezner, 2004).
When certain jobs are outsourced and a lower price of producing a product elsewhere results in a lower cost for domestic consumers, demand for complementary jobs in the U.S. increases. So it is clear that both the economy, individual firms, and hence shareholders alike, all stand to benefit from a strategically sound decision to outsource. One might conclude that under such circumstances, in which consumers enjoy lower product prices as a result of the competition that outsourcing entails, every party impacted should be content. But what are the effects of outsourcing on the individual worker and consumer?
American workers performing blue-collar jobs, particularly in the manufacturing industry, have long been aware of the danger outsourcing imposes. But these individuals are no longer the sole group feeling threatened by its implications. The sentiment has proliferated into the service sector as higher-skill, higher-wage jobs have also been introduced to outsourcing. Originally, these professions were considered to hold substantial job security, mainly because a higher degree of education and skill was needed to perform these jobs. But now, as graduates in other countries possess the same level of skill as their American counterparts, and since they can be employed at a lower cost, middle class workers are given reason to worry as well. Individual workers may find the solution to the issue of staying competitive in education and retraining; however, it is challenging for existing workers to stay ahead of the curve when many competing ones are newly entering the workforce, freshly graduated, with the most up-to-date set of skills from the start (Kretzschmar, Lea, & Railenau, 2004).
One concern of certain import to consumers arising from outsourcing is that of security. When a company decides to use a third-party, it relinquishes responsibility for any employees that may have been transferred under the contract, for example. Fraud, specifically, can be a major issue, and its likelihood can increase, in a situation in which work is outsourced. Also, consumers may fall victim to a lower-quality product for the sake of a lower price or due to the supplier's attempt to simply meet a service level agreement.
Opposing Views on Outsourcing
According to McConnell and Brue (2006), offshore outsourcing does not inevitably have a negative impact on the economy as a whole, but it does weigh heavily on American workers who are laid-off. Outsourcing was a prominent subject of divergence during the U.S. presidential election in 2004. When the head of President George W. Bush's Council of Economic Advisers, N. Gregory Mankiw, stated that outsourcing is "a good thing" because it is "just a new way of doing international trade," economists were not provoked toward any sort of response, but the comment did elicit a reaction from politicians (Drezner, 2004). The unsteady economy in 2004, combined with the fact that it was an election year, led politicians to ramp up the gravity of the impending threat of outsourcing and put legislators in a position to hurry for fixes to the problem. Presidential candidate John Kerry termed companies who offshore in the interest of evading U.S. taxes as "Benedict Arnold corporations," and according to a Zogby International poll in 2004, 71% of American voters maintained that offshoring does damage to the economy, and 62% were in favor of taking some sort of punitive action on firms that offshore, increased taxes being named as one solution ("Outsourcing," 2007).
In a testimony before Congress, Lou Dobbs, a prominent adversary of offshore outsourcing, argued that "free trade has been the most expensive trade policy this nation has ever pursued," citing the loss of "millions of good-paying American jobs" attributed to it ("Lou Dobbs testifies before Congress on free trade," 2007). According to Dobbs, this loss of jobs is the result of the American push to secure "'higher productivity,' 'efficiency,' and 'competitiveness,'" euphemisms for the "cheapest possible labor in the world." He further pointed out that, at the time of his testimony, the greatest share of American income, since 1950, was represented by corporate profits, while salaries and wages stood for the smallest share since 1929. It only makes sense that in a culture of psychological distress due to the supposed threat of job loss, especially in the case of the 2004 election, politicians, who traditionally allegedly uphold the role of supporting and acting in citizens' best interest, would see fit to bringing the issue of outsourcing to light and take a stance against it. But in doing so, politicians could do more harm than good.
Drezner (2004) maintains that it is tempting to associate high unemployment with outsourcing in a period of slow job growth, but that this causal reasoning is "the economic equivalent of believing that the sun revolves around the earth." In fact, technology is more to blame for job losses than outsourcing, at least in the manufacturing sector. He points out that Americans should divert more of their attention to the repercussions of the political reaction to outsourcing, and not to its economic effects. It is easier for Americans to stake belief in anecdotes of job losses appealing to the emotions than in the statistics providing evidence that outsourcing is not necessarily a bad practice. Protectionism resulting from these politically powerful anecdotes would succeed in subsidies to interest groups, which in turn prevents the reallocation of resources to more profitable industries. Furthermore, protectionism can actually play a part in a company's decision to outsource - for example, industries that use sugar as an input for their product offshore in the pursuit of cheaper sugar. If it were not for the U.S. import quotas on sugar, a measure which those against outsourcing most likely support, companies would not feel the need to offshore to obtain cheaper inputs in the first place. Drezner goes on to point out that it is forecasts of gross, as opposed to net, job losses that have caused panic in response to the outsourcing trend, and that in a time of substantial U.S. job growth, offshoring occurs but is simply not newsworthy.
Among other concerns stemming from offshore outsourcing is the exploitation of these overseas workers who are paid lower wages. Also, communication and culture gaps may exist, compromising the quality of the service being provided, and potentially resulting in frustration on the consumer's part.
Security Issues, Skepticism, and Health Risks Associated with Outsourcing
In April of 2005, three former employees of an outsourcing operation in India running a call center for Citibank were accused of, and subsequently detained for, gathering and improperly making use of account information belonging to four New York customers they had assisted in the context of their job. After obtaining the personal identification numbers of these account holders, they proceeded to transfer a sum of $300,000 to both their own and fake accounts they had created in India (Ribeiro, 2005). This particular incident highlights the potential for breaches of security when a company decides to offshore; however, it is important not to overlook the possibility of such fraud occurring right on a company's home turf, catalyzed by greedy in-house employees.
Recently, the Hershey Company, known for producing the "great American chocolate bar" and its family-oriented nature, announced that it would be closing six plants, three in Canada and three in the U.S., relocating to Mexico and cutting 1,500 American jobs in the process. Critics of this decision feel that the focus of the company has shifted from sustaining a family-friendly and "American" reputation to making money, proposing that the company keep its jobs in the U.S. and forfeit the cost savings it would realize in Mexico. On the contrary, a spokesman for the company advised that the relocation of these plants would ensure that most Hershey products will actually be produced in the U.S., stating that the decision to outsource was essential to keeping the company competitive globally. Moreover, there is concern amongst those not in favor of the decision that the stigma of the products being made in Mexico will extend to those still made in America, despite the fact that the company's spokesman insists that all of the company's locations are subject to the same quality standards (Christian, 2007).
Furthermore, it is becoming common for food production to be outsourced nowadays and for companies to subsequently sell those products under several brand names. The problem with this practice, however, is that the suppliers of the products are no longer directly responsible to the consumer, but to the company that has chosen to outsource its production, essentially creating a long chain that makes it harder to trace production back to the supplier. Eluding the ability to be easily traced, suppliers have little motivation to keep the safety of consumers in mind. Some recalls in the recent past include that of fresh spinach contaminated with E. coli, chemically tainted pet food, and meat contaminated with E. coli, all sold under several brand names ("Outsourcing makes tainted food hard to trace," 2007).
Conclusion
The issue of outsourcing is multifaceted, and there is no formulaic solution with which to appease all parties involved in a decision to outsource. Each entity involved - the company, the individual worker, the consumer, and even the economy as a whole - all stand to benefit from a decision to outsource, barring compromised product quality or irresponsibility on the supplier's part. But staunch adversaries, even when presented with the facts contradicting their own beliefs, will not be easily swayed, unknowingly petitioning for a solution that will adversely impact those that they are ironically trying to help. U.S. workers are also U.S. consumers; they can choose whether to invest in the anecdotes of job losses, or to peer deeper into the issue and acknowledge that, despite actual results or individual companies' reasons for outsourcing, the truth remains that it is generally good for the economy, in theory. But this truth is muddied by those anecdotes, and factoring in compromised product quality and irresponsibility on the part of the workers to which the work has been outsourced only gives critics more reason to view outsourcing negatively, and for good reason. The advantages granted upon one entity in either outsourcing or a response to outsourcing in the form of protectionism may prove to be the disadvantages another entity has to face, and vice versa. This being said, it is safe to believe that outsourcing will remain a topic of debate for much time to come.
And the sun will set for you.
Current mood: between some "me" time, dindin, and HW
Category: between some "me" time, dindin, and HW Life
This video is quite powerful. To me, it serves as a reminder of how we should find and embrace serenity within ourselves, even when everything around us seems to be out of control. And also that, no matter how bad your day may be, it will always have an end. So I'm sharing.
It came down to a nap or a survey... I chose survey.
Current mood: my neck hurts
Category: my neck hurts Quiz/Survey
1. Lets start with your name? Val.
2. What do you think about smoking? I think it generally serves as an indication that something is burning somewhere.
3. Do you open up to people easily? No. I need to be pried.
4. Whats your favorite drink? Coffee, or I might say "green tea" if I'm feeling like an alternative freak. Everybody else's favorite drink for me should probably be wine. The red red kind.
5. What is something you ask a lot? "Why am I who I am?" Not actively, just subconsciously.
6. Do you lead people on alot? I admit that I really do, but I am aware of the problem (Dr. Phil's step number one).
7. Are you married? I don't see no ring on this finger.
8. Have you ever told someone of the opposite sex/same sex you loved them? Yes, in a totally hetero way for both. Although saying it and feeling it are two different things.
9. Is there anyone that doesn't like you because of something you didn't even do? I'd bet a percentage of my huge worth on it.
11. Are you friends with your best friend's boyfriend? I don't have a best friend, and if I did, chances are I wouldn't like her boyfriend. Because if I did, he'd be my boyfriend... not hers.
12. Are you single/taken? Single.
13. Are looks important? I think it really comes down to how you meet and the impression that is made. If the impression is weak, the looks might not be so negligible. Looks count for more online than they do in the real world, I think.
14. What are you wearing right now? Same clothes I wore this time last night... don't worry, I'm showering immediately after this (right before "Pushing Daisies" is on... eeeee! I love that show).
15. Are you mad at someone right now? Myself, maybe.
16. Are you taking anyone for granted? Not really one of my stronger skills. I prefer relying on myself for whatever I need... not others.
17. Where do you keep your money? Any of various locations in my room, some less typical than others.
18. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Good question. I'm not sure. It was a long time ago. But maybe. Even though I'm way over it.
19. Would you rather sleep with someone else or alone? Alone. Someone else can be in the room. I just prefer room to be comfortable and move if I have to.
21. How did you wake up this morning? On top of my bed, as opposed to actually in it, feet at the pillow end, still with my jewelry and makeup on... it was a long time since I did that kind of thing before this morning.
22. Which is better: sunrise or sunset? Sunrise after staying up all night. That's when it hits you and you really realize how much you just effed with your circadian rhythm.
23. Where is your friends? They is where they be. I don't keep them on a leash.
24. Would you die for anyone? A slim few, maybe. I feel like I have a lot to contribute to this world yet and wouldn't want it to miss out.
25. What's the last bone you broke? I don't know that I've ever actually broken anything.
26. How many letters are in your last name? Nine.
27. Do you love anyone besides family&friends? I think that covers it.
28. What book did you read last? My microeconomics book... but the last book I read in its entirety was "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie.
29. How was your day? I took care of business.
30. Do you live near your best friend? Again with the best friend thing. Give it a rest.
31. Are you scared of spiders? Certain ones are rather frightening. But I don't have a deathly fear.
32. Do you have any tattoos or piercings? My ears are pierced. I'd get a tattoo but I'm really undecided about what I want permanently on my body.
34. What do you think of Fergie? Too much hype... she should sing like she sings on "Big Girls Don't Cry" more often... but enough with the proving she knows how to spell already...
35. Do you believe in love? Ehhh... iffy. Kind of hard when I really haven't known any real love besides the familial kind.
36. How old do you want to be when you have kids? 259... hopefully I'll be menopausal by then.
38. Do you curse a lot? Nah.
39. What do you know about the future? If it's anything like the present, you're allowed to shoot me now.
40. Do you hate your last boyfriend/girlfriend? No, not hate. He is annoying and he has issues, but I don't hate him.
41. Do they hate you? No.
42. Are you happier single or relationship? I'm happier in that stage where I'm still single, but a relationship opportunity is on the horizon... the chase is always better than the catch after the fact... and better than being single, for that matter. When things end prematurely in the chase stage, I regret it more than a relationship coming to an end.
43. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance? Not at all. There are no do-overs in life.
44. How's school/work? Stressful trying to juggle the two and not burn myself out in the process of it all. Time management is a big issue for me, it seems.
45. Most hated food? Chicken fetus (as seen on "Survivor" - the China version).
49. Do you miss your childhood? Not one of my major problems. At the risk of sounding ungrateful to my parents, I wouldn't say it totally sucked. I just don't miss it that much.
52. If someone doesn't like you, it's usually because? They don't know how to read me, and think I dislike them.
53. Would you say you date smart? I date the opposite of smart. I haven't dated much, but I don't think I ever dated particularly smart. Maybe one person was a little above average.
54. What are you excited about? Tomorrow is a holiday and I totally have the rest of the week off and all of my work will be done after tonight.
55. Kissed someone in the last half hour? No.
56.Have you lost friends in the past year? Yes, and regrettably. I can be an idiot.
57. What did you do three nights ago? On Sunday, I did homework and kinda saw the American Music Awards.
People Getting Punched Just Before Eating
Current mood: eccentric-er than everyone on the planet
Category: eccentric-er than everyone on the planet Movies, TV, Celebrities
Interview with a... Whatever You’d Call Me (Actually Two Interviews)
Current mood: I smell something
Category: I smell something Quiz/Survey
1. Do you know how to drop down and get your eagle on? Whoa, Nelly!
2. What color socks did you wear today? Black. My socks are less fun than they used to be.
3. Current Mood: Relieved that all of that microeconomics work is done. And I'm kind of in a sort of limbo lately.
4.Do you have an Ipod or MP3 player? Poddy the iPod.
5. Do you know how to 1,2 Step? Automatic supersonic hypnotic funky FRESH
6.Who is Mike Jones? Some guy with this outrageous grill who barely speaks English and was featured on MTV's "Wild 'N Out".
7. Honestly, did you cheat through your senior year of high school? No. I actually, you know... took it somewhat seriously. I didn't take five study halls like everyone else does.
8.Do you have a job? Hopefully only until the spring... I can't wait to be laid off!
9.Do you want to go to college? Yes, and so I do.
10. Do you still listen to CD's? Every once in a while.
11. Name a celebrity who is not that pretty that everyone is in love with. Paris and Britney... Paris is just not that attractive, and Britney is... very southern-looking?
12. What song describes your life? Any song about somebody scorned by life itself. If I thought harder, I'd come up with something.
13. What did you do today? Work. Homework.
14. What are your plans for tomorrow? Work, watch the good shows, study some biology so I can take my quiz on Friday, and maybe look around for some of the components of my Halloween costume.
15. Do you like your height? I'm not freakishly tall or short, so yeah.
16. Favorite food? Tacos, salads, anything sweet... tons of stuff.
17. Is myspace your most visited website? That, or Facebook.
18. Are you ready for Christmas? Please. No. Shut up.
19. What were you known for in high school? I wasn't known in high school. Period.
20. What are you known for in college? Again, see above. If anything, I'm the girl to cheat off of.
21. When is your birthday? May 26.
22.Would you rather watch a marathon of Family Matters or Full House? Either, but "Full House" wins out by a small margin. And not just because I'm white.
23. How old were you when you stopped playing with toys? Please... I'd still play with toys if I could. MySpace is totally a grown-up toy.
24. What celebrity over 40 is still got it going on? Is this like a "Desperate Housewives" question? Dying careers resuscitated?
25. Who's dumber Homer Simpson or Peter Griffin? I don't watch "Family Guy". We'll go with Homey.
26. Did you realize Will-i-am was spelling "tasty" wrong in Fergie's song? Did you realize I don't listen to that crap?
27. Did you used to watch wrestling? For years. Did you see me on the teley at SummerSlam '97?
28. Name a number 1 hit that you don't understand made it to number 1 because you don't/didn't like it? That Ne-Yo song, but I was rooting for it, because I hated Hawthorne Heights more. And God heard me.
29.Do you know how to cook? I don't know if I know how to cook or not yet.
30. Did you ever sit down to watch Fear Factor? Once or twice. Once you've seen it once, you've seen every episode.
31. Ever be mean to an old person? If you only knew... I am surrounded by them all day.
32. Who is your favorite ex? If he was my favorite, he wouldn't be my ex...
33. Oreo's or Chips Ahoy? Leaning towards the Oreos.
34. Do you have any people that you work/go to school with that irk the hell out of you? There are varying levels... no one too bad, but I know who causes the problems in biology class.
35. Name a few songs that you have to dance to if it's played at a party/club. Clearly anything by Right Said Fred.
36. What do you think of the person that did this survey before you? She is nice and totally my source for surveys when I'm in need of one.
37. Ever pee in a pool? I hope not but you never know. Ool - what's missing? The "P" in the "pool".
38. Do you have any credit cards? Yeah. Do I use them? No.
39. Ever get a curfew violation? Haha, no. What is that, anyway?
40. What's the most annoying song that you can't help but sing along to? I'm bringing sexy back... them other boys dunno how to act
41. Who is your dumbest friend or friend with little or no common sense? I don't make friends with them.
42. Ever talk to someone and not tell others about it? Uhhh, this is my life, and these are my conversations. If I feel something should go public... I'll blog it. And sometimes when I feel it shouldn't, I'll still end up blogging it.
43. Ever lose any friends over something petty? All of my friends have been lost over petty crap.
44. Last time you got into a fight? I don't really fight. I can be difficult and instigate but I don't fight.
45. Did you like this survey? 2.5 out of 10... better luck next time, survey person.
~~~~~
1. EVER BEEN GIVEN AN ENGAGEMENT RING? No. I don't really want one.
2. LONGEST RELATIONSHIP? Honestly? A few weeks. If we are considering the relationship to be "official". I have some difficulties getting it to that point.
3. LAST GIFT YOU RECEIVED? Eh, my mom bought me new bras last weekend.
4. EVER DROPPED A CELL PHONE? Yeah, I get kind of clumsy sometimes, or try to carry too much at once.
6. THING(S) YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON? I don't really spend money. The obvious would be classes (both academic and dance). Gifts for my family. My car at times. I spend on music and my phone every month, but neither are expensive, really.
7. LAST FOOD YOU ATE? Waffles.
8. FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX? Voice, scent, maybe smile. Hairstyle counts and facial hair must go. But none of this matters if you ain't got brains and tact.
9. ONE FAVORITE SONG? "Swollen Summer" by The Bravery. You only asked for one, but I have many.
10. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Marlton.
11. HIGH SCHOOL YOU ATTENDED: Colonia High School, then I switched to Cherokee High School during my junior year in November.
12. CELL PHONE SERVICE PROVIDER: T-Mobile.
13. FAVORITE MALL STORE: New York & Company.
14. LONGEST JOB YOU HAD: Statement associate at Commerce Bank. We are getting sold to the Canadians!
15. DO YOU OWN A PAIR OF DICE? Yes. The fuzzy ones to hang on your rearview mirror. My brother gave them to me for Christmas.
16. DO YOU PRANK CALL PEOPLE?: Only by accident. And not in years.
17. LAST WEDDING YOU ATTENDED: Haha, my aunt's when I was like seven. I'm not that popular. Come on, people, get married! I love to dance at receptions.
18. FIRST FRIEND YOU'D CALL IF YOU WON THE LOTTERY: I'd call work and quit before telling anyone else.
19. LAST TIME YOU SAW YOUR BEST FRIEND: I haven't.
20. FAVORITE FAST FOOD RESTAURANT: Not really big on fast food. Maybe Wendy's or Subway.
21. BIGGEST LIE YOU HAVE EVER HEARD: That enzymes are located in membranes. Psssht! (Textbooks lie, I swear.)
23. WHERE'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT WITH FRIENDS?: Medport wins by default. I enjoyed Olive Garden outings, too, though.
24. CAN YOU COOK? I need more practice and a kitchen of my own.
25. WHAT CAR DO YOU DRIVE?: '02 Chevy Cavalier.
26. BEST KISSER: I don't kiss and tell. Besides that, I can't even remember.
27. LAST TIME YOU CRIED?: I'm supposed to be keeping track?
30. THING YOU DISLIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF: I have bad skin, my eyelids are slightly incongruent, and I wish I hadn't inherited bad teeth. Other than that, I wish I were more social and expressive when it matters.
32. LONGEST SHIFT YOU HAVE WORKED AT A JOB?: Probably around 13 hours.
35. LAST CONCERT ATTENDED: A Rolling Stones cover band a few weeks ago... last major concert, I think, was The Bravery with Radio 4 almost a year ago. Sad.
36. LAST KISS? Like two and a half years ago, probably.
37. LAST MOVIE RENTED: Yeah, I haven't done that.
38.ONE THING YOU NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT: My license, hopefully. And clothes.
39. FAVORITE VACATION SPOT?: Maryland was nice but Jersey's still fine.
43. LAPTOP OR DESKTOP COMPUTER?: Laptop. I don't have room for a desktop.
44. FAVORITE COMEDIAN?: Oh God, they all suck, but have funny moments once in a while.
45. DO YOU SMOKE? No.
46. SLEEP WITH OR WITHOUT CLOTHES?: With.
47. WHO SLEEPS WITH YOU EVERY NIGHT: Not even my cat.
48. DO LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS WORK?: I doubt it. Dates and actually seeing the person you are dating are nice.
49. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN PULLED OVER BY THE POLICE? Zero.
50. PANCAKES OR FRENCH TOAST? I really could be in the mood for either.
51. DO YOU LIKE COFFEE?: Love it.
52 HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR EGGS? I always liked them sunny-side up, but that's dangerous. Hard-boiled is okay. Not a huge fan of eggs.
53. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ASTROLOGY?: I'd like to think it's not all a bunch of bunk.
54. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?: Mom.
55. LAST PERSON ON YOUR MISSED CALL LIST?: "Name unknown".
56. WHAT WAS THE LAST TEXT MESSAGE YOU RECIEVED?: A confirmation that I paid my bill last night.
58. NUMBER OF PILLOWS?: Two.
59. WHAT ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW?: Jeans, Keds, a shirt I haven't worn in ages.
60. PICK A LYRIC, ANY LYRICS: "If you are chilly, here - take my sweater."
61. WHAT KIND OF JELLY DO YOU LIKE ON YOUR PB & J?: The original.
62. CAN YOU PLAY POOL?: Anybody "can".
63. CAN YOU SWIM? Yes.
64. FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Cookie dough.
65. DO YOU LIKE MAPS?: I prefer directions first. Maps can be a nice complementary tool.
66. TELL ME A RANDOM FACT ABOUT YOURSELF: I watch "General Hospital" on my days off. Sorta.
68. EVER ATTEND A THEME PARTY?: Hmmm... most likely. If work counts.
69. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON? The transitional ones... spring and fall.
70. LAST TIME YOU LAUGHED AT SOMETHING STUPID? It's probably an everyday thing.
71. WHAT TIME DID YOU WAKE UP THIS MORNING? Around 9:00.
72. BEST THING ABOUT WINTER?: Snow, I guess.
73. LAST TIME a COP GAVE YOU A TICKET?: Never.
75. NAME OF YOUR FIRST PET?: Lucky.
76. DO YOU THINK PIRATES ARE COOL OR OVERRATED?: What a fad.
77. WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS WEEKEND? Biology class. Studying. Other than that, probably not much.
78. BIRTHDATE: May 26.
79. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE: A legend, regardless of what field I ultimately end up in.
85. ARE YOU ON A LAPTOP?: Yes.
87. ARE YOU SMILING?: Nah.
89. DO YOU MISS SOMEONE RIGHT NOW? Yes.
90. IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD WHERE WOULD YOU GO? Maybe California (to see how the other coast do) or Spain.
92. ARE YOU IN HIGH SCHOOL?: Those days are behind me.
93. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH?: On an ideal that I am not sure truly exists.
94. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NAME? Mine's fine.
95. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR BATHING SUIT?: I have a tankini that is black with some decoration and a pink bikini.
96. DOES YOUR SCHOOL START IN AUGUST?: This year it did.
97. DID YOU GO ON VACATION LAST MONTH?: No.
98. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A CRUISE?: No.
99. DO YOU HAVE A SISTER? No.
100. ARE YOU UPSTAIRS?: Yes.
102. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL?: Yes.
103. DO YOU WISH YOU COULD SEE ANYONE PARTICULAR? In a way. Then ideal no more.
104. WHAT JEWELRY ARE YOU WEARING? A watch and a ring.
105. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO AFTER THIS SURVEY? Grab some coffee and work on learning some bio.
You can say that again, Mere.
Current mood: stuck
Category: stuck Life
In the hospital, we see addiction every day. It's shocking how many kinds of addiction exist. It would be too easy if it were just drugs and booze and cigarettes. I think the hardest part of kicking a habit iswanting to kick it. I mean, we get addicted for a reason, right? Often, too often, things that start out as just a normal part of your life at some point cross the line to obsessive, compulsive, out of control. It's the high we're chasing, the high that makes everything else fade away.
Still, they say you don't kick the habit until you hit rock bottom, but how do you know when you're there? Because no matter how badly a thing is hurting us, sometimesletting it go hurts even worse.
lazy
